Three dimensional woven fabric connector

ABSTRACT

A three dimensional woven fabric connector includes a first generally planar section of flexible fabric composed of fibers which run lengthwise and are interwoven with fibers that run crosswise generally at right angles to the lengthwise fibers, and a second generally planar section of flexible fabric composed of lengthwise and crosswise fibers interwoven generally at right angles to one another. The second section of fabric is interwoven with the first section along an intersection of the two sections, with at least one lengthwise fiber being common to the two sections. At least some of the crosswise fibers of each section extend from that section through the intersection to the other section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a joint or connector for use in joiningtogether structural components, wherein the joint or connector is madeof a three-dimensional woven fabric.

There are a variety of fasteners or connectors by which structuralelements may be connected together including bolts, clamps, nails, pins,rivets, screws, and the like. Such connectors are generally made ofmetal and are thus quite heavy; further, they typically provide for aplurality of contact points between the joined structural elements andthus the loads and stresses between the elements are concentrated atthose points. A type of fabric connector has also been used, especiallyin the aircraft industry, to join structural supports such as spars orribs to structural coverings such as wing skins. Such fabric connectorswhich are bonded by adhesive or other fastening mechanism to both thestructural support and the structural covering at the joint thereof,although being lightweight, typically provide strength and efficientload transfer in only a limited number of directions, while presentingweaknesses in other directions in the form of pell problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a lightweight connector forjoining together structural components.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a connector whichprovides strength and efficient load transfer in a multiplicity ofdirections.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a connector whichuniformly distributes loads and stresses between the joined structuralcomponents.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a flexible,conformable three-dimensional woven fabric connector suitable forconnecting together a variety of structural components.

The above and other objects of the invention are realized in a specificillustrative embodiment of a three-dimensional woven fabric connectorwhich includes a first generally planar section of fabric composed oflengthwise and crosswise fibers interwoven generally at right angles toone another. Also included is a second generally planar section offabric, also composed of lengthwise and crosswise fibers interwovengenerally at right angles to one another, wherein the second section offabric is interwoven with the first section along an intersection of thetwo sections, with at least one lengthwise fiber being common to andinterwoven with the two sections. With this configuration, strength, andefficient and uniform load transfer is provided in the lengthwisecrosswise directions of the fibers.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the woven fabric is madeof graphite, Kevlar, fiberglass, or similar filament. In accordance withanother aspect of the invention, at least some of the crosswise fibersof each section extend from that section through the intersection to theother section to provide strength and efficient load transfer betweensections. In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, atleast some of the crosswise fibers are interwoven with the lengthwisefibers to extend in one direction to the edge of a section and thenabout the edge and back in the opposite direction, substantially withoutbreak in the fibers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from a consideration of the following detaileddescription presented in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a fragmented, cross-sectional view of a prior artarrangement for connecting a structural support to a structuralcovering;

FIG. 2 is a fragmented, cross-sectional view of a three-dimensionalwoven connector, in the form of an H, made in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of athree-dimensional woven connector, in the form of a T with two legs;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of another embodiment of a three-dimensionalwoven connector in the form of a Y;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a schematic showing of the crosswisefibers interwoven with the lengthwise fibers of the connector embodimentof FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a schematic showing of the crosswisefibers interwoven with the lengthwise fibers of the connector embodimentof FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a schematic showing of the crosswisefibers interwoven with the lengthwise fibers of the connector embodimentof FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmented view showing the manner in which crosswise fibersmay be interwoven with lengthwise fibers in the woven connector of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a prior art arrangement for connecting a spar or rib 4(such as might be used in construction of an airplane wing) to anotherstructural component 8 (such as the skin or covering of an aircraftwing). Placed at the joint of the spar 4 and structural component 8 tohold the two together are a pair of fabric connectors 12 and 16 (shownin cross section in FIG. 1). A portion of each fabric connector 12 and16 is placed flat against and bonded to the structural component 8 whileanother portion is placed flat against and bonded to the spar 4 asshown. This connector arrangement provides fairly good strength and loadtransfer efficiency between the spar 4 and structural component 8 whenthe two components are moved as indicated by arrows 20 relative to oneanother. However, the strength of the connector is very weak when thetwo components are moved in the direction indicated by arrows 24 and 28relative to one another. In particular, such movement would give rise towell known fabric connector peel problems.

The three-dimensional woven fabric connector of the present inventionavoids the problems outlined in connection with the FIG. 1 arrangement,and one embodiment of the connector is shown in fragmented,cross-sectional view in FIG. 2. This embodiment is shown connecting aspar 34 to a skin covering 38, such as used in the construction ofaircraft. It is noted that both the spar 34 and skin covering 38 areshown as being made of a sandwich wall construction. It should beunderstood that the woven fabric connectors of the present invention maybe used to connect together a variety of structural components inaddition to those shown in the drawings.

The connector embodiment of FIG. 2 includes a first section of fabric 40composed of fibers interwoven together in a cross-hatched pattern aswill be described in detail later. Also included are second and thirdsections of fabric 44 and 48 also composed of fibers interwoven togetherin a cross-hatched fashion. The second and third sections of fabric 44and 48 are also interwoven with the first section 40 along respectiveintersections 52 and 56 of the sections. The locus of points at whichsection 44 intersects section 40 and the locus of points at whichsection 48 intersects section 40 are spaced apart and generally parallelin the plane of section 40. As will be explained further later on, atleast one fiber or fiber bundle of the section of fabric 40 is commonwith the section of fabric 44, and at least one other, fiber or fiberbundle of section 40 is common with section 48.

As seen in FIG. 2, portions of both sections 44 and 48 extend upwardlyfrom section 40 and portions also extend downwardly therefrom. Likewise,a portion of section 40 extends outwardly in one direction from section44, and another portion of section 40 extends outwardly in the oppositedirection from section 48, with an intermediate portion of section 40extending between sections 44 and 48. The sections 44 and 48 are shownas intersecting section 40 at right angles, but other angles ofintersection could also be used as needed. Additionally, the fabricsections are bendable and thus may be made to conform to variety ofshapes to which they might be bonded.

The spar 34 and skin cover 38 are connected together by placing section44 flat against the underside of the skin covering 38 and bonding itthereto. The two upper portions of sections 44 and 48 extend into theskin covering 38 and are bonded to the interior of the skin sectioncovering. The edge of the spar 34 is placed between the two lowermostportions of sections 44 and 48 and is bonded therebetween. A sparsection 60 is also positioned between the two upper portions of thesections 44 and 48 as shown in FIG. 2. With this configuration,structural strength and efficient load transfer is achieved in all threedirections of movement which the spar 34 may have relative to the skincovering 38.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the wovenfabric connector of the present invention. This embodiment also is showncoupling together a spar 64 to a skin covering 68. The connector of FIG.3 includes a first section of woven fabric 72, and second and thirdsections of woven fabric 76 and 80 which are interwoven with the section72 to extend downwardly therefrom as shown. The sections of fabric 76and 78 intersect the section of fabric 72 along generally parallel lociof points at which intersections a fiber or bundle of fibers is commonwith the section 72 and respective sections 76 and 80.

The connector of FIG. 3 is utilized by placing section 72 flat againstthe bottom surface of the skin covering 68 and bonding it thereto. Thespar 64 is positioned between sections 76 and 80 and is bonded to thesections, and to the underside of section 72.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of thewoven fabric connector of the present invention. Specifically, twoconnectors 84 and 88 are shown interconnecting, at a right angle, theedges of two skin covers 92 and 96. Each of the connectors, such asconnector 84, includes three sections 100, 104 and 108, all of whichextend generally radially outwardly from an intersection 112 of thethree sections. The three sections are composed of fibers interwoventogether, with at least one fiber or bundle of fibers being common tothe three sections.

The connector 88 is similar to the connector 84 except two of thesections are bent to overlie the outside corner of the joint of the twoskin coverings 92 and 96, as shown. Two of the sections of connectors 84and 88 extend into the joint between the skin coverings 92 and 96generally in planes parallel to one another. The different sections ofthe two connectors 84 and 88 are bonded to the surfaces of the skincoverings with which they are placed in contact.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of the weaving of the connectorembodiment of FIG. 2. The connector includes lengthwise fibers or fiberbundles 120 which serve as the warp of the woven fabric. Interlacedthrough the lengthwise fibers 120 or warp are crosswise fibers or fiberbundles 124 which serve as the weft of the fabric. The crosswise fibers124 of section 48 are interwoven about a lengthwise fiber or bundle offibers 56 which is common and serves as an intersection with section 40.Similarly, the crosswise fibers 124 of the section 44 are interwovenwith a lengthwise fiber or bundle of fibers 52 which is also common withthe section 40. The common fiber or fiber bundle 52 is spaced from andgenerally parallel with the fiber or fiber bundle 56, as indicated inFIG. 5.

The crosswise fibers 124 are interwoven through the lengthwise fibers120 to an edge of a section, such as section 48, and then extend aboutthe edge and back through the lengthwise fibers 120 substantiallywithout break. That is, the crosswise fibers 124 are looped about theedgemost lengthwise fibers without a break in the crosswise fibers.Although not indicated in the FIG. 5 embodiment, the crosswise fibers ofone section may extend through the intersection with another section toform the crosswise fibers of that other section.

FIG. 6 shows schematically the interweaving of fibers of the wovenfabric connector embodiment of FIG. 3. This connector also includeslengthwise fibers 130 interwoven with crosswise fibers 134, 138 and 142.The crosswise fibers 134 are shown interwoven with the lengthwise fibers130 to form section 72 (as also shown in FIG. 3). Similarly, crosswisefibers 138 and 142 are interwoven with lengthwise fibers to form section76 and 80 respectively. It is noted that the crosswise fibers in each ofthe sections do not extend into the other sections, other than extendingto and about the fibers or fiber bundles 146 and 150 which are common tointersecting sections.

FIG. 7 is a schematic showing of the interweaving of the fibers for thewoven fabric connector embodiment of FIG. 4. In this embodiment,crosswise fibers 160 are interwoven with lengthwise fibers 164 andextend from one section through the intersection 168 to form crosswisefibers of another section. In FIG. 7 the crosswise fibers extend fromone section through the intersection 168 to a next section, and thenfrom that section through the intersection 168 to the third section offabric.

FIG. 8 shows a fragmented section of fabric which includes lengthwisefibers 180 interwoven with a continuous crosswise fiber 184. Thecrosswise fiber 184 is interwoven in one direction through thelengthwise fibers 180 and then about the edgemost lengthwise fiber andback in the other direction through the lengthwise fibers, etc. Thiscontinuous looping or weaving of the crosswise fiber forms advancingcolumns of weft in the fabric as generally indicated in FIG. 8.

The fabric connectors of the present invention are advantageously wovenof fiber bundles of graphite, fiberglass, Kevlar, or similar highstrength material.

Although different specific embodiments of the invention have beendescribed, all such embodiments provide a three-dimensional woven fabricconnector which provides a type of three-dimensional structural support.All of the embodiments include sections which are interwoven togetherand intersect at a common locus or loci of points. Each of theseembodiments provides strength and efficient load transfer in threedimensions. The connectors, in addition to providing strong reliableconnectors, are very lightweight.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentinvention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intendedto cover such modifications and arrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fabric joint for providing three-dimensionalstructural support for at least two intersecting structural memberscomprisinga first section of fabric for attachment to one of thestructural members and composed of fiber bundles interwoven together aswarp and weft, a second section of fabric for attachment to the other ofthe structural members and also composed of fiber bundles interwoventogether as warp and weft, and interwoven with said first section alongan intersection of the two sections, with at least one fiber bundle ofthe warp, located at the intersection, being common to the two sections,wherein at least some of the fiber bundles of the weft of the firstsection extend through the intersection to form at least some of thefiber bundles of the weft of the second section, and a third section offabric for attachment to one of the structural members at a locationspaced from that at which either the first or second section is attachedand composed of fiber bundles interwoven with the first section along asecond intersection of the first and third sections which is generallyparallel with and spaced apart from the first mentioned intersection,with at least one fiber bundle of the warp, located at the secondintersection, being common to the first and third sections, and whereinthe second and third sections each extend laterally in oppositedirections from the first and second intersections respectively, andwherein the first section extends outwardly from the second section inone direction, and outwardly from the third section in the oppositedirection.
 2. A fabric joint as in claim 1 wherein the second and thirdsections intersect the first section generally at a right angle.